Devoted And Established!
"Establish Your word to Your servant,
who is devoted to fearing You."
Psalm 119:38
Some things naturally go together—salt and pepper,
bread and butter, pencil and paper, needle and
thread.
When it comes to godliness, God has given us all we
need.
But we must diligently provide two parts to the equation—a
devoted heart and disciplined habits. Psalm 119:38
alludes
to both. Our hearts must be devoted to fearing (reverencing)
God, and we must form habits that establish us in the
Word.
Notice the two key words in this verse.
Devoted: Devotion is better than dedication, isn’t it? We can
be dedicated to something without being devoted to it. Some
people are dedicated to preserving their marriage, but aren't
devoted to their spouse. We must keep our hearts tender,
receptive, and thirsty for the Lord.
Established: Being established in the Word requires continual
reading, studying, pondering, applying, and sharing. Little will
happen without steady habits, and habits are hard to sustain
unless we work willingly to establish them. Reaching goals
requires commitment and consistency. To live a godly life,
we must diligently develop a heart of devotion and engage
the habit of godliness.
"Self-control is the exercise of inner strength under the
direction of sound judgment that enables us to do,
think, and say the things that are pleasing to God."
Jerry Bridges
